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Greenlights

by Matthew McConaughey

★★★★☆ 4.20 (470 049 ratings)
2020 · 304 pages · ~5h 4m read · Nonfiction

Matthew McConaughey shares an unconventional memoir based on thirty years of his personal journals. He describes his life through the metaphor of greenlights-moments of success and clarity-and how to navigate the red and yellow lights of hardship. Filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way, the book encourages readers to live with more livin'. It is a charismatic and insightful guide to finding rhythm and meaning in a chaotic world, delivered with McConaughey's signature voice.

A popular book with millions of readers worldwide.

Topic: Self GrowthStyle: Narrative
memoirphilosophycreativity

Notable Quotes

"We all step in shit from time to time. We hit roadblocks, we fuck up, we get fucked, we get sick, we don’t get what we want, we cross thousands of “could have done better”s and “wish that wouldn’t have happened”s in life. Stepping in shit is inevitable, so let’s either see it as good luck, or figure out how to do it less often."
"The question we need to ask ourselves is: what is success to us? More money? That's fine. A healthy family? A happy marriage? Helping others? To be famous? Spiritually sound? To express ourselves? To create art? To leave the world a better place than we found it? What is success to me? Continue to ask yourself that question. How are you prosperous? What is your relevance? Your answer may change over time and that's fine but do yourself this favor – whatever your answer is, don't choose anything that would jeopardize your soul. Prioritize who you are, who you want to be, and don't spend time with anything that antagonizes your character. Don't depend on drinking the Kool-Aid – it's popular, tastes sweet today, but it will give you cavities tomorrow. Life is not a popularity contest. Be brave, take the hill. But first answer the question."
"Don’t walk into a place like you wanna buy it, walk in like you own it."

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